CN1194570A

CN1194570A - Metal frame, particular for electric cabinet frame, with super stable assembling wedge

Info

Publication number: CN1194570A
Application number: CN98105561A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 卡齐米尔·拉伯赫; 让-皮埃尔·平
Original assignee: Schneider Electric SE
Current assignee: Schneider Electric SE
Priority date: 1997-03-21
Filing date: 1998-03-13
Publication date: 1998-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-13
Also published as: FR2761206B1; US6019446A; DE69803505T2; RU2207451C2; EP0866531A1; PL187325B1; CN1114981C; HUP9800617A2; HUP9800617A3; JPH10271616A; FR2761206A1; HU221572B; AU5940898A; AR012134A1; DE69803505D1; HU9800617D0; BR9801369A; PL325387A1; AU729867B2; EP0866531B1

Abstract

A metal frame for an electrical cabinet comprises an assembly of uprights (12C) and cross-members (14D, 16F) forming a framework with high mechanical rigidity. Each upright (12C) is provided with a support equipped with four bearing surfaces (32A, 32B; 34A, 34B) designed to cooperate with two positioning surfaces (48, 50) of conjugate shapes of a cross-member of the first series (15D) to form a fixing device with a hyperstatic wedge (22) when the fixing screw (56) is tightened, which screw passes through a hole (54) of the corresponding cross-member (14D), and cooperating with a lock-nut (42) secured to the support. The nut (42) has a tapped hole (44) arranged in the center of symmetry of the four bearing surfaces (32A, 32B; 34A, 34B) of the housing.

Description

Metal frame, in particular for electric cabinet frames, with statically indeterminate assembly wedges

The invention relates to a metal rack, in particular for an electric cabinet, comprising: vertical uprights in the form of columns having a U-shaped cross-section bottom, a first set of horizontal cross-members extending transversely of the cabinet and parallel to each other, a second set of cross-members extending perpendicularly to the first set of cross-members and in the thickness direction of the cabinet, and fixing means for assembling said sets of cross-members to the uprights to form a rectangular frame.

Generally, the metal frame that assembles the electrical cabinet requires a large number of components and fixtures to provide the frame with sufficient mechanical stability. In addition, the structure of the upright and the cross beam has complicated special shapes. The assembly times are more, and the manufacturing cost is higher. This frame design does not facilitate wiring operations at the top or bottom of the cabinet.

The aim of the invention is to achieve a metal frame for an electrical cabinet which is simple to assemble and to couple and has a high mechanical stability.

The metal frame according to the invention is characterized in that each upright is provided with a support means having four support surfaces designed to cooperate with two positioning surfaces of conjugate shape of the first set of beams, so as to form a fixing device with a hyperstatic wedge when the fixing means are tightened.

According to one feature of the invention, the fixing means comprise a central screw passing through a hole of the corresponding cross-member and cooperating with a locknut fixed to the supporting means, said nut having a tapped hole located in the centre of symmetry of the four supporting surfaces.

According to a first embodiment, the support means are formed by recesses cut into each upright. The locknut is inserted into the U-shaped inner part of the upright column by the height of the concave part. The recess of each U-shaped upright is defined by two parallel horizontal edges provided on the same body and by two identical cuts provided on the two legs and supporting the support surface.

According to a second embodiment, the support means of the fixing device with the statically indeterminate wedges are formed by a connecting element fastened to the uprights and to the second set of crosspieces by means of assembly means, said connecting element comprising four support surfaces and a centring element with a hole for the passage of the fixing means.

At the bottom of the frame, it is easy to integrate a base and an in-situ levelling system associated with means for fixing the frame to the ground.

Further advantages and characteristics will become clearer from the following description of different embodiments of the invention, given purely by way of non-limiting example and represented by the attached drawings. Wherein,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the frame of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a system for assembling a column to a bottom rail;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an assembly system equivalent to FIG. 2A in an assembled position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system for mounting a column to a top rail equivalent to FIG. 2B;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of another embodiment identical to FIG. 2A;

FIG. 4B is an exploded perspective view of another system for assembling the column to the top beam;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment;

fig. 6 shows the mounting device of fig. 5 in a mounting position.

Referring to fig. 1, a metal frame 10 of an electric cabinet is composed of

vertical uprights

12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F of U-shaped cross-section, and two sets of

vertical cross-members

14A, 14B, 14C, 14D located at two horizontal planes; 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F are assembled so that the frame has a rectangular profile. The first set of horizontal beams 14A to 14D extend parallel to each other in the lateral direction of the cabinet, while the second set of beams 16A to 16F extend perpendicular to the beams 14A to 14D and in the thickness direction of the frame 10.

The front surface of the frame 10 is defined by

front uprights

12A, 12B, 12C and

front cross members

14A, 14D. The rear surface of the frame 10 includes

rear uprights

12F, 12E, 12D and

cross members

14B, 14C. The mounting areas for the uprights 12A-12F to the various cross members 14A-14D and 16A-16F are located at the top and near the bottom of the frame 10, respectively.

A shroud 18 may be provided over the

top rails

16A, 16B, 16C to form a flat top. A bus bar supporting spacer 20 is positioned a short distance below the cross beam 16C and is secured between the two columns 12C, 12D. Removal of the cross beam 16C may facilitate access to the spacer 20, particularly when the junction plate is used to connect to another bus board adjacent the cabinet.

In fig. 2A and 2B, the assembly of the horizontal crosspiece 14D on the vertical uprights 12C is carried out at the bottom of the frame 10 by means of a fixing device with hyperstatic wedges indicated with the general reference 22. The U-shaped upright 12C is provided with a recess 24, the recess 24 being defined by two horizontal

parallel edges

26, 28 on the same upright 30 and two identical cut-

outs

32, 34 in two

U-shaped legs

36, 38. Each

cut

32, 34 comprises, at the level of the

corresponding branch

36, 38, two bearing

surfaces

32A, 32B; 34A, 34B, the bearing surfaces being separated from each other by a central tab 40 folded in 180.

A locknut 42 having a tapped hole 44 is disposed within the U-shape of the stanchion 12C and includes two opposing shoulders 46, the shoulders 46 pressing against the ends of the tabs 40 so that the hole 44 of the nut 42 is located in the four

bearing surfaces

32A, 32B of the recess 22; 34A, 34B.

The horizontal cross-beam 14D is formed by a C-or Ω -shaped section with two outer locating

faces

48, 50, the locating

faces

48, 50 extending in the longitudinal direction and being designed to engage with the four bearing

faces

32A, 32B in the recess 24; 34A, 34B. The inclined locating surface 48 has a shape which is conjugate to the

bearing surfaces

32B, 34B on the two tabs 40. The other positioning surface 50 likewise cooperates in a conjugate manner with the

bearing surfaces

32A, 34A located below the middle web 40. The cross-section of the cross-beam 14D has an intermediate surface 52 provided with a hole 54 (in phantom in fig. 2A) through which a set screw 56 passes.

To assemble the cross member 14D to the stanchion 12C, the nut 42 is simply inserted from the rear of the U and secured against the tab 40, and the set screw 56 is then tightened after the cross member 14D is inserted into the recess 24 (FIG. 2B). The assembly with the hyperstatic wedge thus obtained by the fixed assembly of the single screw 56, thanks to the four bearing

surfaces

32A, 32B of the recess 24; 34A, 34B ensures high mechanical stability.

Three screws 56 are required to assemble the cross member 14D to the three

uprights

12A, 12B, 12C.

The beam 16F is of inverted U-section having a common body 58 with two

holes

60, 62 drilled therein and two

flanges

64, 66, each provided with two

bosses

68, 70 and a hole 72. The outer distance between the two

legs

64, 66 is slightly less than the distance between the inner surfaces of the

legs

36, 38 of the column 12C so that the cross member 16F can be inserted into the U-shape of the column 12C until the

projections

68, 70 are stopped by the stops formed by the

notches

74, 76 located in each

leg

36, 38 of the column 12C. A locknut 78 having a tapped hole 80 is inserted in advance into the holes 72 of the two wings of the beam 16F.

The assembly of the cross-member 16F to the upright 12C is carried out by means of a fixing screw 82 passing from the front of the frame 10 through a hole 84 provided in the body 30 of the upright 12C and screwed into the locknut 78.

The first aperture 60 of the cross-beam 16F may allow an adjustment screw (not shown) to pass therethrough to form part of an in situ leveling system. The frame 10 is secured to the ground by a set screw (not shown) passing through the second aperture 62 of the base beam 16F.

With reference to fig. 3, the assembly of the horizontal crosspiece 14A to the top of the upright 12C is carried out by a fixing device with a statically indeterminate wedge 12, the shape of the statically indeterminate wedge 12 being the same as that described with reference to fig. 2A and 2B. The top beam 14A is constructed the same as the bottom beam 14D. The ends of the cross member 16C in the thickness direction include a shoulder 86, the shoulder 86 covering the top of the column 12C and the ends of the horizontal cross member 14A. The assembly of the cross beam 16C to the upright 12C is carried out by a fixing screw 88 designed to be screwed into a box-shaped positioning nut of the upright 12C.

The cross-sectional shape of the

horizontal cross members

14A, 14B, 14C, 14D may be any shape having two positioning surfaces at the rear.

In fig. 4A, the beam 114D is H-shaped with two extending locating

surfaces

148, 150 at the rear thereof to engage the four bearing

surfaces

132A, 132B, 134A when the beam 114D is inserted into the recess 124. A locknut 42, similar to the locknut of fig. 2A, is inserted into the U-shaped cross-section of the column 12C so that it can be assembled by the set screw 56. A sealing plug 90 made of molded elastomeric material is inserted between the locating

surfaces

148, 150 of the cross member 1140 and the bearing surfaces 132A, 132B, 134A of the column 12C, the sealing plug 90 having substantially the same shape as the recess 124.

The assembly secured by a single set screw 56 constitutes a secured seal assembly with a statically indeterminate wedge.

In fig. 4B, the same cross beam 114D of the same construction as in fig. 4A is used for the upper portion of the assembly. The four

bearing surfaces

232A, 232B, 234A, 234B of the recess 224 are located in the column 12C and have a shape which is conjugate to the locating surfaces 148, 150 of the beam 114D, and the seal 90 has a hole 92 through which the screw 56 passes. Securing the cross beam 16C to the column 12C is accomplished by screws 88 through holes 94 in the cross beam 16C and into snap nuts 96 secured in openings 98 in the column 12C.

For connecting the various beams 14A-14D; the use of fixing means with hyperstatic wedges for fitting 16A-16F to the corresponding uprights 12A-12F allows the assembly time of the frame 10 to be reduced while at the same time improving the mechanical stability of the structure. In the coupling solution of the field cabinet, it is possible to temporarily remove a certain upright in order to facilitate wiring and maintenance operations. This temporary removal is also effective for installing cables on the top or bottom of the cabinet.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the fastening device with the statically indeterminate wedge can also be realized by a connecting piece 100, the connecting piece 100 being fastened to the upright 12C and the cross beam 16C by means of a coupling device, in particular by welding, riveting or clamping. The connector 100 is provided with four bearing surfaces and an inclined centering member 102. the member 102 has an aperture 104 through which the set screw 56 passes. Seal 90 is mounted between connector 100 and longitudinal beam 14A. The use of the connector 100 allows the finished U-shaped uprights 12A-12F and cross-members 16A-16F to be used.

Claims

1. A metal frame, in particular for an electric cabinet, comprising:

vertical pillars (12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F) which are columnar with a U-shaped cross-sectional bottom,

a first set of horizontal beams (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) extending parallel to each other in the lateral direction of the cabinet,

a second set of cross-members (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F) perpendicular to the first set of cross-members (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D) and extending in the thickness direction of the cabinet, an

A fixing mechanism which assembles the two sets of beams to the uprights (12A-12F) to constitute a rectangular frame,

characterized in that each upright (12A-12F) is provided with a support means having four support surfaces (32A, 32B, 34A, 34B; 132A, 132B; 134A, 134B; 232A, 232B; 234A, 234B; 332A, 332B; 334A, 334B) designed to cooperate with two positioning surfaces (48, 50; 148, 150) of conjugate shape of the first set of beams (14A-14D) to form a fixing device with a hyperstatic wedge (22) when the fixing means are tightened.

2. Electrical cabinet frame according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixing means comprise a central screw (56) passing through a hole (54) of the corresponding cross-member (14A-14D) and cooperating with a locknut (42) fastened to the supporting means, said nut (42) having a tapped hole (44) located in the centre of symmetry of said four supporting surfaces (32A, 32B; 34A, 34B; 132A, 132B; 134A, 134B; 232A, 232B; 234A, 234B).

3. Electrical cabinet frame according to claim 1, characterised in that the support means are formed by a recess (24, 124, 224) cut out of each upright (12A-12F).

4. Electrical cabinet frame according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the four bearing surfaces are inclined (32A, 32B, 34A, 34B) or curved (132A, 132B; 134A, 134B; 232A, 232B; 234A, 234B).

5. Electrical cabinet frame, according to claim 3, characterized in that the locknuts (42) are inserted at the level of the U-shaped internal recesses (24, 124, 224) of the uprights (12A-12F).

6. Electrical cabinet frame according to claim 3 or 5, characterised in that the recess (24, 124) of each U-shaped upright is defined by two parallel, horizontal edges (26, 28; 126, 128) located on the same body (30) and by two identical cut-outs (32, 34) located on both legs (36, 38) and bearing against said bearing surface.

7. Electrical cabinet frame in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a sealing (90) adapted to the shape of the chamber (124) is inserted between the positioning surfaces (148, 150) and the bearing surface for a secure fit with a statically indeterminate wedge.

8. Electrical cabinet frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support means of the fixture with statically indeterminate wedges are formed by a connecting piece (100) fastened to the uprights (12A-12F) and to the second set of cross-members (16A-16F) by means of coupling means, said connecting piece comprising four support surfaces (332A, 332B; 334A, 334B) and a centring element (102) with a hole (104) for the passage of the fixture.

9. Electrical cabinet frame as in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each bottom cross-member (16D, 16E, 16F) of the second group is provided with a first hole (60) for the passage of a leveling system adjustment screw and a second hole (62) for the passage of a screw for fixing the frame (10) to the ground.

10. Electrical cabinet frame according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein each top cross member (16A, 16B, 16C) of the second set comprises a shoulder (86) covering the top of the corresponding upright (12A-12F) and a portion of the cross members (14A-14D) of the first set.